Shots fired, hostage situation at Eagles Of Death Metal show in Paris (UPDATED)

CNN is reporting that there have been a series of coordinated attacks across Paris tonight, involving shootings at multiple locations, leaving at least 18 dead. Among the locations attacked was the concert venue Le Bataclan, where American rock band Eagles Of Death Metal [pictured], featuring Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, was slated to perform tonight. Unconfirmed reports also say that there is currently a hostage situation taking place at Le Bataclan. Homme records with Eagles Of Death Metal but typically does not tour with the band; it has been confirmed that he is not with the group at this time.

Another location was the Stade de France stadium which was hosting a France-Germany football match at the time. Multiple explosions went off inside the stadium.

This is a developing story and will be updated as we learn more, so keep checking back.

5:10 p.m. ET UPDATE: CNN’s Jim Bittermann is reporting live that police are attempting to break into the back of Le Bataclan as well as firing on the roof of the theater.

5:14 p.m. ET UPDATE: CNN is reporting that eyewitnesses inside Le Bataclan count six to eight hostage takers, and that there is a shootout underway between police and hostage takers.

5:24 p.m. ET UPDATE: France 2’s Anne-Charlotte Hinet reports that the area is “totally locked down” by “many, many forces” and that numerous medical vehicles are onsite. She says she heard screams and gunshots earlier, but cannot confirm their origin. She could not confirm the report that 60 people are being held hostage.

5:33 p.m. ET UPDATE: French news network BFM is confirming at least 60 people are dead between all attacks.

5:46 p.m. ET UPDATE: President Obama calls this event “an outrageous attempt to terrorize civilians” and says the U.S. will assist France in whatever they need to respond to this attack.

5:58 p.m. ET UPDATE: Brooklyn Vegan is reporting that Eagles Of Death Metal as well as the opening acts are safe.

6:03 p.m. ET UPDATE: France 24 reporter Cyril Vanier says Le Bataclan is a 1,500-capacity room but does not know how many attendees were inside. He also says two to three gunmen entered the venue carrying AK-47s and opened fire on the crowd, though he says no one has heard gunfire from inside the venue for at least a half-hour.

Radio reporter Julien Pearce, who was inside Le Bataclan, described it as “10 horrific minutes” of shooting, and that the terrorists did not say anything. They were wearing black clothes but were not wearing masks. Pearce climbed onto the stage and found an exit, but not before seeing “20 to 25 bodies lying on the floor,” as well as numerous badly injured attendees.

6:20 p.m. ET UPDATE: Substream can confirm that all members of Deftones, who are in Paris right now and were set to perform three nights in a row at Le Bataclan November 14-16, are safe and back in their hotel rooms.

Below is an Instagram photo of Eagles Of Death Metal mid-set tonight, before the attacks began.

6:44 p.m. ET UPDATE: Somewhere between 150 and 200 hostages have been evacuated and there are approximately 20 hostages trapped in the first floor of the venue, according to CNN’s Pierre Buet. He says there were gunshots as recently as five minutes ago that he believes were from police.

6:52 p.m. ET UPDATE: Eagles Of Death Metal has issued a statement via social media, remarking, “We are still currently trying to determine the safety and whereabouts of all our band and crew. Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation.”

7:05 p.m. ET UPDATE: CNN’s Pierre Buet says “a great number” of hostages have already been evacuated but it is not known how many are left inside Le Bataclan.

7:11 p.m. ET UPDATE: The Associated Press has reported the police have completed their assault on Le Bataclan, and at least two attackers are dead.

7:38 p.m. ET UPDATE: The deputy mayor of Paris has told CNN that 118 concertgoers were killed at Le Bataclan tonight. This number may continue to go up.

8:06 p.m. ET UPDATE: At least 149 people are dead between all terrorist attacks in Paris tonight.

8:09 p.m. ET UPDATE: ABC7 News is reporting that Michael Dorio, the brother of Eagles Of Death Metal touring drummer Julian Dorio, says Julian told him the following about the shootings: “He said they were playing, about six songs into the show, and they heard, before they saw anything, they heard automatic machine gunfire. And it was so loud, it was louder than the band, and they all hit the stage floor. And as they got up to try to evacuate they saw men with machine guns just shooting anything and everything in the venue… There was a door back of the stage that led to a street and they flew out the back door.”

Scott Heisel is a writer and editor for hire. He has been writing professionally since 1997, with thousands of bylines in numerous national publications, including Alternative Press, where he was a member of their in-house editorial staff for 10 years.

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